Chicken-fence



J. KLEIN.` CHICKENFENCE.

APPucATloN mw JAN. 1a. 1919.

1,319,290. 'Patented oct. 21,1919.

inw.

Amst

. :UNITED sfrnfrns PATENT centros.. 7 i

ing my invention.

JACOB KLEIN, OFHAVELOCK, NEBRASKA. i

CHICKEN-FENCE.

- To all whom t may concern:

ing is a specification.

' My invention relates to a new andnovel chicken fence, and the objects of my invention are:

First: To provide a chicken fence thatv does 'not have to'be built to .make a hen or than from three feet four inches to about Athree feet six inches high, in order to clicctually `prevent chickens from liying overpit.

Second: To provide a :chicken fence, the parts Yof Which are easily and quickly replaceable When they become defective .from any cause.

Third: To provide a'chicken fence, the essential parts of which are made 'of thin sheet metal and which are of a construction that enables them to be easily stamped out by punches and dies, and the cost ofvvvhich to the purchaser is cheaper than some other chicken fences on the market.

Y I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated .in the accompanying'dravvings, in which: Y I

Figure l is a perspective view of a chicken fence constructed in accordance With my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through one of the picket supporting channel bars.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view showing the upper board or Stringer of the fence,a channel bar secured thereon, and a picket mounted in the channel bar.

Fig. 4 is a perspective vievv of one of the pickets. And Y v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of la portion of one of the channel bars. p' Y Y Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several vievvs.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig.y l illustrates a chicken fence embody- In this ligure the .numeral 2, represents a ground sill, preferably consisting of a board of preferably one inch thick by about four inches Wide, to which one edge of a Width of chickenY stopping. Woven Wire fence netting 2A, of a meshwsultfv Y Specification of Letters Patent. Application led January 13, 1919.

`preferably use, ifl desired. chicken.confining' orexcluding fence higher Patented 0615.21, 1ere; i Serial No. 270,857..

able to prevent chickens from going through its open spaces,is secured by nailsor staples. Posts 3,7are positioned at suitable distances apart to support this Wire mesh fenceacross its Width to hold it upvstraight, and along Y its upper edge and to the top portions Vof the osts a board l about one inch in thicklness bythree inches in Width, is secured,

this part of my fence being common construction and the sizes of the parts of which it is composed may be varied from those l,

desired lengths and can be formed in rolls channelY of Hat strips of sheet iron or stamped out by punches and dies if it is more desirable to make Sthem'in reasonably shorty lengths than lin long lengths.

Y These channel shaped members form the supporting baseV plate of the top picket members 7, of my fence, that are the essential barriers tothe light of chickens or hens Overit. These top members of my fence 'consist of vertically projecting lingershaped picket membersthat vare made of thin sheet iron, each of which is made in channel form, thatvis, with its edges '8, turned at about a .right angle toits sides, and each picket has a pointed upperend. Each ofv these pickets is independent of the others, and they are placed preferably about tWo inches apart along the length of the base plate'. The channel form .which I give to `these pickets gives them strength enough to `resist quick and rough handling and to'resist high. Winds against` their sides that might bend them laterally if they Were not strengthened by their turned edges. Each l one of these pickets is adapted to be securedy to my sheetiron channel form of base plate,

and While they may be secured inl a numT ber `of different Ways, my invention contemmoved from the base plate and another put in its place if, from any cause, itis necessary to replace one or iore of them at any time during construction of the fence or afterward. Consequently, I preferably carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner:

Each one of the pickets is provided with a downwardly projecting leg portion 9, that extends down from the side of each picket between its side edges 8, and the edges of the base plate close to its side are provided with two slots 10, that extend in alinement with each other through both edges, so that the leg port-ion of each picket will fit loosely but closely in these slots. The leg 9 of the picket is then inserted in the top slot and it extends across the side of the picket and through the lower slot of the base plate and a short distance below it. The lower ends l1, of the turned edges of each picket are squarely shouldered so that they will rest flat on top of the upper edge of the base plate, and thus brace the picket on the top edge. rllhe lower end of the leg extends far enough below the lower edge 6, of the base plate to be bent around its edge and overlap, if desired, the lower edge of the board 4, which will lock the picket to the base plate and board. Each one of the pickets is secured in this manner to the base plate, which secures them firmly to it against accidental displacement, while the leg can easily be bent out straight from and around the edge of the base plate and the board when it is desired to remove a picket from its recess in the base plate, and the pickets are preferably made about twelve inches long, and they can be stamped out of thin sheet iron by suitable punches and dies, thus reducing their cost of production to a low figure, as well as making them all alike.

My improved hen and chicken fence provides a low practical fence, as hens and chickens cannot fly upand rest on its po-inted pickets, and I find in practical use, that it being built at only such a height above the ground as will enable the hens and chickens to plainly see the pickets, they appear to be governed by instinct and also appear afraid to attempt to fly over it. Consequently I build it preferably only three feet four inches high, at which height they can plainly see the pickets, whereas if I should build it eight to ten feet high, they could not plainly see the points of the pickets and would be apt to attempt to and would occasionally, iy over it.

My fence is also ornamental in appearance, and when the pickets are stamped out they can be cheaply made, and isv durable against weather conditions, as the base plate protects and stitfens and trusses the top board 4, and consequently tends to hold it straight and prevent it from readily warping.

YHaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a chicken fence, the combination of a suitable chicken stopping wire netting and suitable supporting members therefor, with a channelV form of sheet iron strip secured along the length of said nettings upper support, said channel member being provided with slots at short distancesapart along its length, and pointed sheet iron pickets of channel form arrangedvto rest on said strip and to be secured in said slots.

2. In a chicken fence, the combination of the base sill, the chicken stopping netting and the top supporting board, with the sheet iron base plate having turned-over edges over the edges of the top supporting board, and provided with slots through its turned-over edges, and with the sheet iroil pointed pickets having turned-over edges adapted to rest on the top edge of said base late and havin@r a de endino lu@ ortion D D C extending through the slots of said base plate and below its lower edge far enough to be bent around and secured to said base plate.

3. with supports and a chicken wire netting secured thereon, of a metal strip secured to the upper support of said netting, and fiat metal pickets having pointed upper ends,

In a chicken fence the combination yso the ylower end portions of which are secured to said metal strip.

4. In a chicken fence, the combination of the netting, the supports therefor, the sheet iron strip provided with slots at predetermined distances apart, and the sheet iron pickets provided with pointed upper terminal ends and secured in the slots of said sheet iron strip.

5. In a chicken fence, the combination with posts, base boards secured thereto,

stringers connecting the upper ends of said posts, and wire netting secured to said base boards and stringers, of channel bars secured upon said stringere having spaced pairs of oppositely arranged slots in their right angled members, and pointed metal pickets having leg portions which extend through the said pairs of slots, and shoulders which rest upon the top portion of said j channel bar.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB KLEIN.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR M. CAMERON, A; J. BAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

